Ocean breezes cool San Luis Obispo County’s sweaty brow

The stifling heat wave that broke high-temperature records for a fourth day Tuesday has finally ended, thanks to a shift in winds and subtropical moisture starting to stream into the county.

Local forecaster John Lindsey said the end of the heat spell came with a suddenness he’d never before witnessed in his 30-plus years of observing local weather.

At 12:17 p.m. Tuesday, the temperature was 107 degrees at the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. office in Avila Valley where Lindsey works.

At 12:57, the thermometer had fallen to 70 degrees.

“I don’t recall such a temperature drop in such a short period of time in San Luis Obispo County,” Lindsey said.

The cause was the return of the cool, moist northwesterly winds blowing off the Pacific Ocean, he said.

A little further inland, the effect of the winds was less pronounced, and the temperature reached 107 degrees at Cal Poly at 1:53 p.m. That shattered the official record for the date of 100 degrees, set in 1993.

One result of the heat: A girls tennis match to be played in San Luis Obispo between Arroyo Grande High and San Luis Obispo High was postponed until today. A girls tennis match between Templeton High and Nipomo High was also postponed until Monday.

Paso Robles also hit 107 degrees Tuesday, breaking the previous record of 103, also set in 1993.Today will be cooler, with the high in San Luis Obispo near 80. Paso Robles should be in the mid-90s.

Widespread high clouds will move over the region, the result of subtropical moisture flowing from the south. Lindsey said there is a slight chance of thunderstorms, and even lightning, in the eastern parts of the county.

But chances are slim that any rain will hit the ground due to the atmosphere being extremely dry, Lindsey said.

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